Arafat blames groups outside Palestine for attacks

Arrested Palestinian men sit on a sidewalk guarded by Israeli soldiers in al-Amari Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Photo: AFP

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat today blamed extremist groups based outside Palestinian territory for attacks on Israel, as he reiterated an offer to meet US President George W Bush.

"Our attempt to end of all of these terrorist acts are really attempts not only to save Israeli civilians, which we want to do, but also because these terrorist operations are also against the real interest of the Palestinian people," Arafat said.

He was speaking at an international conference in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana via a satellite telephone link from his headquarters in Ramallah.

"The order for such terrorist operations come from the chiefs of these organisations who live outside Palestine. The financing for these organisations comes from outside Palestine," he insisted.

Arafat said he was ready to meet Bush at any time and urged the "quartet" overseeing negotiating efforts in the Middle East - the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States - to convene an international peace conference.");document.write("

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"I would like to meet President Bush and I am committed to meet him at any time of his choice and any place of his choice, so that we can work towards a real comprehensive and just and permanent peace," Arafat said, adding that he was "committed" to non-violence.

But he said renewed Israeli military incursions were jeopardising attempts to implement reforms in the Palestinian Authority and said the latter had lost all contact with Israeli officials since Israel had closed its security liaison offices.

Arafat was speaking in an hour-long question and answer session with the Forum of Crans-Montana, an annual meeting of international business and political leaders.

He spoke in Arabic and his remarks were translated into English by the Palestinian minister for international cooperation, Nabil Shaath.